Views

from afar
A bayside home in sympathy with its surroundings
By Judy Friedlander

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“As I roamed the wild bush behind Bayview as a child,
collecting wildflowers, I think I had already developed a
passion for the Australian landscape and its flora and fauna”
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Sydney’s Pittwater region takes a strong hold
on anyone fortunate enough to have spent their
childhood there.
The towering gum trees, ancient sub-trop-
ical tree ferns and flowering plants, abundant
bird life and protected waterways combine to
leave an indelible mark on the memory.
Despite living for the past 40 years in
Canada, the owner of this Bayview property
has always dreamt of returning to her childhood
haven where she spent every weekend holi-
daying with her family.
“The land is a small part of a property
that was in my family for four generations,” she
says. “My great grandfather bought a couple
of acres in 1908 and built a holiday cottage on
the edge of what was a great wilderness in
those days.
“As I roamed the wild bush behind Bayview
as a child, collecting wildflowers, I think I had
already developed a passion for the Australian
landscape and its flora and fauna.”
The house was built by local architects
Utz-Sanby via yearly face-to-face meetings and
phone and email communication. The owner
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says the architects were simpatico to her desire
to “blur the boundaries between inside and
outside, to be able to see in all directions, to
see the birds flying, the majestic tress on the
hillside and the moods of the water and the
shores of Pittwater”.
She also wanted a house that trod lightly on
the environment, hence it was important to her
that the architects had sound eco principles
and a track record of sustainable design.
Says architect Duncan Sanby: “The house
has been designed for minimum site disruption
and to take advantage of the natural contours
of the land.
“The living areas are centred on a large
timber deck, which is almost a full storey above
the ground and is evocative of being on a ship’s
bow.”
Sanby explains that the elevated platforms
of the house take advantage of the best views
and aspect the site has to offer: opening up to
the bays and inlets of Pittwater while also
capturing cool sea breezes and maximising
access to northern sun.
The owners felt strongly about not disrupting
Carp
ort
Rainwater
Tank The house is built on piers,
which (coupled with the house’s
Store modest size) helped keep site
Rainwater
Tank excavation to a minimum and
maximises access to views
and cooling sea breezes.
It also creates a space for
two 4500 litre rainwater
tanks, among other things.
the natural vegetation, and protecting the
substantial eucalypts. A bush regeneration
team from Total Earth Care was engaged to
re-establish and protect the local ecology. Total
Earth Care’s Andrew McGahey says that the
owners are like many Pittwater locals who have
grown up in the area and “are passionate about
the tall native trees and the bush”.
“The Pittwater spotted gum forest is an
endangered ecological community and is
protected,” says McGahey. “These gum trees
have hollows which house many endangered
species such as the powerful owl, koalas,
squirrel gliders and quolls.”
He says that the local ecosystem also
features the Macrozamia “which is like a tree
fern and is a very primitive plant dating from the
age of the dinosaurs. The owners wanted to
recreate and conserve what was left.”
Keeping the house size small was a priority,
says the owner, to allow the block’s natural
assets to feature. “It is only as big as it needs
The expansive tallowood
to be for our requirements,” she says. The 146 deck is the centrepiece of the
square metre house is miniscule in comparison house, drawing you outside
to relish the surrounding
to the 1500 square metre block that it occupies. forest and sea views.
Sanctuary 71
 Sustainable Features

Bayview Residence
Designer Utz-Sanby Architects
Website www.utzsanby.com
Builder Steele Associates
Location Bayview, NSW
Project type New building
Project cost $750,000
Photography Marian Riabic

Hot water
– Quantum compact 270L heat pump hot water system

Water saving
– 2 x 4500L rainwater tanks for garden, washing
machine and toilet flushing

Passive heating & cooling

High-level louvres and
openable windows maximise
light and opportunities for
cross ventilation and venting
of hot air, and ensure those
all-important views are present
in every living space.
– Natural ventilation
– R1.0 foil-faced Autex Greenstuf building blanket
– R3.2 Autex Greenstuf batts
– R2.5 Acousti-Therm batts
– R2.0 Quietstuf batts
– Sub-floor concertina boil batts

Active heating & cooling

– Hunter Pacific Concept ceiling fans

“The land is a small “The house is built on piers and this kept
excavation to a minimum, but it still allows us to
part of a property use the space under the house for a carport,
“The flat roof in between the two pitched
roofs allows light to enter from the north even
into the south-facing rooms,” says Sanby.
Building materials
– Carter Holt Harvey Ecoply cladding
– Tallowood flooring and decking
– Colorbond roof and cladding to stair
– Powder coated aluminium door frames

that was in my family rainwater tanks and storage area.”

The home’s many windows allow for highly
“The high ceilings with high windows looking
out onto the surrounding greenery give the
– Western red cedar window frames

for four generations” effective illumination, ventilation and those all-

important views.
“The wedge shape of the house affords the
inhabitants privacy while making the most of
the aspects and views from every room,” says
Sanby.
“On the western elevation, a series of angled
bay windows provides views from the bedrooms
and bathrooms and form a three-dimensional
and rhythmic facade.”
Sanby explains that cross-ventilation is opti-
mised by the high-level louvres on all sides of
the house, combined with the fact that the
rooms are not too deep.
Northern light infuses the house and enters
the central area through strategically placed
windows framing the two wings.
house a wonderfully light and spacious feeling,”
says the owner. “The open-plan living area
Windows & Glazing
– Breezeway louvres
which includes the decks feels very spacious –
while the bedrooms in the other wing feel quite Lighting
private. – Fluorescent battens
“I just love being in the master bedroom and – Wall mounted up-lights
being able to look out the window at the great
limbs of the Eucalytus punctata and the Other
turpentine (Syncarpia glomulifera), and see the – Bush regeneration by Total Earth Care
cockatoos in the distant spotted gums. (www.totalearthcare.com.au)
“It is such a thrill to have this beautiful house. – Minimal site excavation
– The size of the house and decks is modest and
It is my dream come true.”
covers only a portion of the 1500m2 site

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